Catharsis
by Wendy McCalister
Summary: She was forced to see her distant brother, but instead she met with an old friend who she hadn't seen for six years. She hadn't exactly been looking forward to the weekend—and why was this guy treating her so coldly anyway? AU, KB.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** She was forced to see her distant brother, but instead she met with an old friend who she hadn't seen for six years. She hadn't exactly been looking forward to the weekend—and why was this guy treating her so coldly anyway? AU, KB.

 **Chapter 1**

"Oh, lighten up, will you?"

Her father's voice harshly chastised her, and Botan scowled, eyes fixing a dark glare on the view outside the window. It was also at that moment that she realized her back was totally straight and it hurt, so she forced herself to relax. "I still don't understand why I have to do this."

"Because you two went out of the line this time," Yukio bluntly told her, his voice dripping with boundless fury. His daughter finally turned to look at him, though the expression on her visage remained unchanged. He did not let it get on his nerves—though the notion to just yell at her was awfully tempting. "What the hell were you thinking? I don't get you guys, I never did and I think I never will. I know you and your brother have your differences, but I never would have expected for you to ruin a family dinner. Our relatives—ones who had came from afar, mind you—were so shocked they left. Do you realize how embarrassing that is?" His voice was rising up a notch, he soon realized, and he forced himself to cool down. Mouthing to ten and inhaling and exhaling to regain his composure.

"He started it!" she growled vehemently, tempted to just open the door and throw herself on the road so she wouldn't have to go through all this. But no, she didn't want to die, so she refrained from doing so. "He was so out to get me! You heard him, didn't you? He said that I didn't earn enough money. So what? Just because he's a famous surgeon now, he thinks he has the right to _criticize_ me? To _judge_ me?"

"Botan." Her father spoke as evenly as possible, but anyone could tell the underlying irritation evident in the tone he used. "He never said that. All he did was offer you a job at his hospital. He thought you needed the financial help."

"He implied it," she huffed, body slightly relaxing as her tense shoulders slumped down and she leaned back in the chair, her back colliding against the seat. "And what was that stupid grin? It was _so_ mocking!"

"Botan," he said again, this time drily, "you work as a waitress at an old restaurant no one even goes to anymore. What does that tell you?"

The girl shot him an odd look, her eyes reflecting hurt as her expression contorted to one that implied her feeling of being betrayed. "Great. First Souta and now you? Thanks, dad."

Yukio expelled the umpteenth heavy sigh. His hands gripped on the wheel, nails threatening to sink through as his own wrath shone through. "You guys need to get over this—whatever this is. You're 20, and he's 23; maybe it's time you two start growing up!" he roared, watching as surprise flitted over her features. "I've been patient all this time, but now I won't have it anymore. You two need to settle your own problems." He turned away from her to flick his dark purple orbs to the tall, familiar building coming into view. He whirled a corner and halted the car so abruptly that Botan would have been flung forward into the mirror if it wasn't for the belt keeping her still. His ears distinctly caught the sound of her unbuckling her belt and he averted his attention back to her. The look on his face was dead serious, leaving no more room for games and arguments. "Now get out. Maybe by the time I pick you up, you'd be more of a refined, matured woman than a whiny little girl." And then, for emphasis, he reached around her to open her door. "Well?" he insisted with an impatient edge in his voice as she made no move to leave.

Botan continued to stare at him with that deep frown marring her forehead for what felt like forever before she eventually made a 'hmph'ing sound and allowed one leg to peek through the open door. Leaning forward, she inched the rest of her body out of the car and turned around to angrily slam the door. She could have sworn the window cracked a little under her brute force, but couldn't afford to give a damn as she watched the car drove off to disappear into the long line of vehicles on the busy road.

"Well, this is just fantastic," she murmured under her breath in a grudging tone before she swung her backpack over her shoulder. Huffing a little at the heavens for being cruel to leave her to deal with this awful fate, Botan then whipped around on her red high heels, pushing the dark sunglasses on the top of her head down to the bridge of her nose as she fixated her gaze on the apartment complex standing tall before her.

She still hated to see it no matter how many times she had gone here with her father to visit her annoying brother. Mostly because she remembered the first time she came Souta had been showing off how better he was compared to her. It had always been that way for the two siblings—a harsh relationship with deep, endless rivalry. When they were kids, it had been friendly. Then they became teenagers, and it grew into pride-turned-ego, neither refusing to give up and acknowledge the other one as a better individual. Now they were adults and it was brutal, harsh, and filled with so much hatred and animosity that they wanted nothing to do with each other. Her brother had a narcissistic streak, whilst she had the knack of being a stubborn-headed mule. It was no wonder they couldn't get along with one another. And the prospect of spending her otherwise fun-filled weekend with a plastic surgeon who had nothing better to do than make her life miserable was less than welcome.

Botan knew that there was no other way around this, however. She had to just face it and get this whole ordeal over with. How long was a weekend anyway? Two days. 48 hours. 2880 minutes. And 172800 seconds—wait, why the hell was she counting?

Shaking her head lightly at herself, Botan heaved a heavy sigh as she began to walk her way to the average-length set of stairs. She eyed a furious old woman trying to get into her taxi with her large luggage which refused to just enter the small car as she reached the top. Well, at least some people were going through worse days than her. With a light shrug of a shoulder, Botan decided— _oh well, how bad could this be_? And went in through the large set of doors. She swore that this place grew bigger with each time she came here, but she soon brushed that thought off from her head as she felt as if that would have meant a slight victory on her brother's part.

Ignoring the weird looks she was receiving from the other tenants—probably due to her torn baby blue pants and revealing red-striped white tank top that left little to the imagination—Botan strolled idly to the elevator and pressed the button up before waiting patiently for the elevator to come down. Five seconds passed and she heard a familiar 'ding', and literally sprinted inside as the doors slid open before pressing a button to a certain floor. A few others chased after the elevator, though the doors shut close before any of them made it in time. Botan felt bad, but she couldn't exactly ignore the sense of relief that overtook her as she realized she was alone in the limited space. She loathed being in cramped areas more than anything and considering the bad day she was having, she was not exactly in a fairly good mood.

The moving motion of the lift came to a sudden stop and Botan curled a strand of blue hair around her index finger as she observed the set of doors sliding open. She stepped out, turning to the right as her brain tried to recall the location of her brother's apartment. It wasn't as if she was forgetful—no, she just didn't bother to remember. She racked her memories for a little while whilst she walked along the long hallway, flicking her thumb and middle finger together as a revelation smacked her across the face. Right, apartment 1201!

She looked up from the red-carpeted floor—why did they have the red carpet anyway? This wasn't a five-star hotel, you know! Well, it sort of resembled one, but… Bleh, whatever—to the number nailed on the mahogany-sculptured door before her. Oh, what do you know? She was already here without even noticing. She could just slam a fist on the door just to irk her big brother, but resisted the urge to as she realized the sound would only attract unwanted attention to her from the other tenants living nearby. So she settled with ringing the bell, tapping her foot against the ground beneath her as she waited for the person at the other side of the door to answer. The soft padding of the front of her heels against the reflecting floor came to a stop as the click of the doorknob unlocking resounded in her ears, dread filling her at the prospect of seeing Souta's face—no doubt frowning with a thin angry line attached on his mouth.

She gribbed the right strap of her backpack in her rosy nail-polished fingers, the tips threatening to dig into the linen fabric as she anticipated her brother's taunting smirk, to which she would throw the bag into his face in upfront retaliation. Her supple figure tensed as the knob turned and she inhaled a sharp intake of breath, ready to fling her backpack in a moment's call as the door swung open to reveal—a guy with long, unruly red hair and wide, emerald eyes?

"What?" Botan blinked at the man staring back at her, her baffled-laced-shock expression matching the one on his physiognomy as they stood there gazing at each other. A long pause seemed to drag on before she broke out of the spell. "Er, who are… Oh. _Oh_." Her look of recognition danced over her countenance as her jaws dropped open to gawk at him in awe. By the time she managed to collect herself, he was already sporting his usual stoic mask. "Shuichi?" she uttered in a whisper of disbelief. "Shuichi Minamino? Is that really you?" It was stupid to ask when the telltale signs of his identity was presented so blatantly in front of her—that red hair and those green orbs could only belong to one person, after all—but she couldn't help it, considering they hadn't seen each other for six years. Sure, she didn't recognize him at first—he'd grown taller and the streaks of fiery crimson was longer and his body was more lean and muscular than before… Wait.

A bright scarlet hue colored her pearl white cheeks as she finally noticed the state of dress he was in—or lack thereof, in this case. The boy had one towel wrapped around his still damp hair, the droplets of water soaking at the tip dripping to the floor and she couldn't help but take note of the few that trickled down his well-sculptured torso—since when did Shuichi Minamino grow muscles and when did he get abs? Thank god for the sweats that served to cover the lower parts of his form, or Botan would have been reduced to an unconscious, nose-bleeding mess.

She blinked slowly, as if to snap out a trance before she realized she was giving him the biggest checking of the century. She inwardly delivered a kick to her own shin, scolding herself for staring for too long. Hoping against the inevitable that Shuichi had failed to notice—though that was less than likely considering he noticed basically everything just about everything—Botan looked up to give the boy a sheepish grin. "Long time no see?" she said unsurely, wondering what the hell was going on.

Shuichi's mouth curled upwards slightly into a tight smile—it was obvious he noticed her intense gazing, but he made no move to acknowledge it, much to her relief. "Long time, indeed," he admitted with a soft voice, before stepping aside to allow her some room to enter. "Did you… did you come here to see your brother?" he asked her after a short, hesitant as he ogled her step inside, taking a note of the skin of her long, smooth legs peeking through the gashes of her pants as she took off her high heels and arranged them properly by the exit. He looked away just in time for her to whirl her head to him before he spun around and shut the door close behind him, unlocking it all the while.

"Er," she paused as she observed the key he slid in into his right pocket, pondering how he could produce a key to her brother's apartment or possess one, for that matter before she remembered he just asked her a question. She cleared her throat, swiftly forming an answer. "I'm supposed to be staying here—for the weekend," she informed him in a straightforward manner, figuring she might as well cut to the chase than beat around the bush.

"Oh." For a moment, she could have sworn there had been a tiny fracture in the impenetrable expression on his face, but she had little time to ponder it as he quickly slipped his stoic mask back into place. "I see." He nodded slowly, permitting a moment for the information to sink in.

"I take it you're not exactly partial to it?" she blurted out before she could stop herself. Her eyes then grew wide in shock over her own words and she promptly slammed a hand to her lips. "Oh—wait, I didn't mean it that way. I just—"

"Rest assured, Botan," he cut her short, his voice awfully curt in a way that made her feel as if she was talking to a businessman—maybe he was; Shuichi did harbor an interest in business… but that was six years ago and she didn't know if he was still the same. She snapped out of her musings as his voice went on, "I don't particularly mind it—you are his sister, after all. Though I do recall you two being on less than good terms—if anything you were always trying to bite each other's heads off with each meeting. I also remember your arguments getting on my nerves a few times, but let's not dwell on that, shall we?"

His words took her off guard, leaving her in a state of utter disbelief as he calmly strolled past her and into the hallway. She stared at his disappearing back before slowly following after him, wondering idly to herself what in the world happened to the old Shuichi. For as long as she could remember, he was never the type to be so… brutally honest with anyone—no, if anything he would give smooth, swiftly planned out lies out of his consideration for other people's feelings. But then again, they had grown apart over the long years and even before they went on their separate ways, so maybe Botan didn't know him all that much anymore.

"Although I am afraid I may have bad news—or good news, depending on your perspective," Shuichi abruptly spoke and Botan blinked to break out of her reverie. She turned to look at him, watching as he rubbed his hands on the towel to quickly dry his hair.

"And… what exactly is it?" she asked warily, that feeling at the pit of her stomach telling her she wasn't going to like where this conversation was heading to.

"Your brother," He threw the drenched towel on the couch, and Botan eyed him as he flopped down on it, his fingers quickly finding the remote seated neatly by his side, "is on a business trip," he finished, leaving her completely startled and speechless as he flipped on one channel after another for something interesting. "Boring, boring, boring…" he mumbled under his breath, blissfully ignoring Botan's loud, frantic footsteps hurrying to his direction. A scowl and he resisted the urge to pulverise the girl under his dark stare as she stood in front of him, blocking the TV from his view. He settled with a blank gaze as he looked up at her panicked-laced-furious expression.

"What do you mean, he's on a business trip?" Her voice rose up a notch, nearly resembling a shriek and it made him expel a deep sigh.

"Didn't he tell you anything at all?" Shuichi responded instead with another question, still trying to look around her so that he could spare even a fleeting glance at the TV. "He texted you, didn't he?" he asked her absent-mindedly, more focused on his desire for entertainment than her, really.

Botan paid no attention to the lack of interest she could sense from the redhead as she gave out her own sigh, though hers dripped with a tinge of exasperation. "That's the thing, Shu—er, I mean, Minamino. He didn't." Something told her he wouldn't appreciate her addressing him so casually—that something being the look of slight displeasure on his handsome features, by the way—and she quickly corrected herself.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense. You guys don't actually keep in contact, do you? Aside from family unions, I mean." Shuichi eyed in silent amusement as the girl's visage contorted into fury as the words left his lips, the shaking of her form a blatant proof of her brewing irritation. He smirked, knowing he was threading on thin ice but figuring that he should drop the subject… for now. All sneering aside, Shuichi pulled the most serious expression he could manage and regarded her with a firm voice. "He's at Okinawa and he probably won't be back for another four days or so… so yeah, for the time being, you're stuck with me."

Figures. Leave it to her brother to leave her uninformed about this relevant piece of information!... Wait a second! No wonder he agreed so easily to let her stay here—it was because he wouldn't even _be here_. Why that conniving little—and he left her _alone_ with Shuichi, of all people? The nerve of that bastard—wait again. Pause. Rewind. Stop. What?

"What are you talking about?" Botan felt as if a dark cloud was overlooming on the top of her head. "What do you mean, stuck here with you?"

Shuichi threw the remote on an unoccupied space on the couch as it began to dawn on him that she wasn't planning to budge until they finished their discussion. It didn't particularly bother him that she would be living here—after all, it was only for a couple of days—but if they were going to get along, he knew he had to play along with her—and she had to stop blocking the TV.

Shuichi ran a hand through his now nearly-dry hair, deciding to grant her with his full attention now as he leaned back in the couch and pinned a fixed gaze on the younger girl's form. "I've been living here for two months now. You wouldn't know since you would never bother to come and visit unless your father forced you to—but I've been Souta's roommate in this fancy little apartment ever since I got kicked out of mine."

"Oh." She nodded her head in understanding before a certain part of his elaboration seized her curiosity. "You got kicked out? How?"

He shrugged. "Scamming issues."

"Scam—wait, you mean to tell me, you, Shuichi Minamino, actually got _scammed_?" Botan pointed at him with an accussing finger, her pools of amethysts blinking at him in an innocent, though slightly befuddled manner.

For a moment, the 21-years old redhead actually seemed offended. She swiftly dropped her finger, promptly hiding her hands behind her back as if afraid he would saw her wrists off.

"It was a miscalculation on my part," His voice sounded too tart for her taste, "but yes, yes, I did. And your brother was nice enough to let me stay for a little while until I get on my feet and earn enough money to buy my own place—or I can build one; that way I won't have to pay the rent."

"I wouldn't say _nice_ , per se—you know he never gives out handouts unless there's something for him to gain in it—er, not that any of it matters." Sweat beaded on her forehead as she caught the uninterested stare he gave her. The old Shuichi would have laughed his head off when she rambled. This new Shuichi, however, had no intentions of acknowledging her. It abruptly occurred to her that she didn't exactly like this newly-formed version of her former redheaded friend. Granted, she hadn't kept in contact with him for six years—but it wasn't _all_ her fault. Wasn't he the one who ignored her calls?—or did he change his number again? No matter. The point is that she didn't think that after such a long time of not seeing him he would have changed this much. The sweet, mild-mannered Shuichi was gone now—replaced only by a insensitive person with a cold-blooded personality and a tendency to irk her to no end with his taunting remarks of the relationship she shared with her brother. She sighed and shook her head, quickly brushing off the thoughts laced with prejudice conjuring themselves in her head as she convinced herself to give him a chance. This _was_ Shuichi, after all, and they were long time friends… even though the air surrounding them now wasn't one which would resemble the preferred description.

With another breath of resignation leaving her lips, Botan finally budged from the front of the TV—and was that a sigh of relief she heard coming from Shuichi?—and flopped down on the seat beside him just as he grabbed the remote and began to flip the channels again. She was suddenly aware of her aching shoulder—she didn't even realize she was still holding on to her backpack—and she promptly slid the straps off of her, throwing the bag on the floor beside her feet.

She rubbed her sore shoulders, leaning back in the couch and sighing in content at the feel of something soft and comfortable pressing against her back. Come to think of it, she went here with her father and the journey had been for more than six hours and she hadn't even realized she was actually tired. The exhaustion finally dawned on her and she placed a hand over her mouth, a yawn eventually escaping her. Her eyelids fluttered close, then she heard Shuichi turn off the TV, felt the loss of weight as he got up from his side on the couch, but didn't bother to ask where he was heading as the sleepiness was beginning to slowly eat away at the remnants of her consciousness. She felt something warm being placed around her torso, but couldn't afford to open her eyes as she was too tired to care at the moment.

Maybe a little nap wouldn't hurt. Hopefully New Shuichi wouldn't kill her when he realized she fell asleep on his couch—Her brother always reprimanded her when she did. Said something about it being too expensive to have her saliva dripping all over it. Heh. As if— _then again, maybe he really wouldn't_ , Botan thought as she finally opened her eyes to fix on whatever it was that covered her. A brown leather jacket was wrapped around her like a blanket, serving to offer her some warmth in the air-conditioned room as the scent of roses invaded her nostrils. _Roses. Only Shuichi smelled of roses._

She smiled, allowing the smell to surround her as slumber finally overtook her.

 **A/N:** This is another short story I had planned—alongside Buss—that I just had to write no matter what before the ideas get lost in the flood of other unimportant things in that one thing I call my brain. It probably won't last for more than five chapters—but hey! It's a _short_ story. I might finish it this month, depending on how busy I might be—or the next. Either way, it hopefully wouldn't take up much time. It won't even be longer than five chapters anyway… Hopefully. :Gulp: I'm not exactly convincing, huh? Er, never mind. Well, hope you enjoyed it anyway!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** She was forced to see her distant brother, but instead she met with an old friend who she hadn't seen for six years. She hadn't exactly been looking forward to the weekend—and why was this guy treating her so coldly anyway? AU, KB.

 **Chapter 2**

Waves of vibrations surrounded Botan as it came from underneath her head, bringing her out from the land of dreams. The sound was similar to that of a wild boar snoring right into her ear and served to chase away the remnants of the dream she was having—something about kicking her brother in the ass—like, literally. The girl let out a loud groan filled with exasperation—she never liked being disturbed when she slept. She grumbled some incoherent sentences under her breath—most of the words muffled from silent curses directed at whoever dared to disrupt her slumber—and reached for the cellphone under the pillow propping her head up. She blinked for a moment as she tried to recall a time when she actually got off her lazy ass and went to find a pillow—only to frown as she only remembered falling asleep while sitting on the couch. She had a hunch that Shuichi got it for her—the prospect making her slightly smile as she pondered if he really had changed. Though the thought was quickly brushed off from the recesses of her mind as she averted her attention back to her cellphone and flipped the lid open.

Delicate blue brows furrowed into a deep crease on her forehead as she eyed the bright white numbers glaring at her through the blinding screen emitting the only light in the cold, dimly lit room. Her brother's caller ID was presented right before her and she scoffed at the missed call she received from him. He was probably bored and trying to annoy her. He _knew_ she hated waking up, after all. Another glance at the piece of machinery told her that a text message was also included, but Botan decided against playing along with Souta's always-changing moods and his knack for irritating her nerves. A shiver abruptly travelled down her spine and she couldn't help but ponder—why the hell was the room so damn icy-cold? A tender yet bone-chilling breeze that came from her right side, leading astray a lock of blue from her sky-colored fringe, caused her to turn her head to see the window open. She frowned again, wondering why the hell Shuichi even bothered opening the window at night—was he _trying_ to let someone in? Throwing her legs over the edge of the couch, the girl stood up on her two feet and tried to ignore the icy pang that surrounded her toenails as the soles of her feet touched the freezing floor. She wrapped the jacket Shuichi had given her around her shoulders to sap some warmth into her skin and went to close the window. But the instant the pads of her fingers met contact with the 8 ft windowpane, a sound from behind her managed to seize her attention.

Botan froze, body turning into a rigid line as she tried to interpret the strange noise. A long pause seemed to drag on forever before it came again—and then it hit her. It sounded like a moan—a breathy pant of some sort. For a moment, she worried if Shuichi was hurt—only to squash that line of thought into a black oblivion as the moan resounded again from the closed door of her brother's room—and the revelation smacked her hard across the face that it didn't belong to a man—but a _woman_. A blush colored her cheeks as she caught the dirty words that erupted from the lady's mouth, the muffled sound of the bed creaking hinting her of exactly _what_ Shuichi was doing. Her face was bright red—though she was uncertain if it was from the embarrassment or the anger unexpectedly brewing in her. Huffing, the girl threw Shuichi's jacket on the arm of the couch, making for the kitchen to get a glass of water in order to somewhat cool down the raging fire burning at her sides with a deep loathing she did not think she could possibly possess. However, she did not expect the cold beverage lying forgotten on the floor as she stepped her way forward for the kitchen entrance—squeaking as she tripped on the bottle of alcohol, the back of her head colliding with the armrest of the couch. The high-pitched sound of her yelp reverberated through the walls of the huge apartment—causing the girl's face to drain of its original color.

Then the creaking came to a sudden stop.

There was a pause as Botan quickly stood up from her lying position on the floor. Muffled curses resonated from the other side of the red door of Shuichi's chamber and Botan ignored the pain that coursed through her aching skull from the impact of the hit she received accidentally from the couch. Shuffling and she swiftly ran for the toilet located near the kitchen. The door opened and she disappeared into her sanctuary.

She had only managed to catch a glimpse of the black-haired woman standing half-naked right at Shuichi's side as they exited the room before she was gone before they could notice her. She was vaguely aware Shuichi did, though—as it was unbelievable that he was unable to put two and two together and notice the lack of her sleeping form on the couch and the bottle of alcohol rolling towards a corner.

Botan clamped the door of the bedroom shut as her heart drummed wildly in her chest. The scarlet shade on her cheeks refused to go away no matter how hard she demanded it to or wiped at her face as she heard the distinct sound of voices speaking in normal volumes from outside the kitchen. There was a loud, echoing slap, the sound of skin smacking against skin succeeding in making Botan's efforts fruitful as her blush reduced into a tiny pink flush. She blinked, confused and wondering what occurred—before panic rose within her once again as she heard footsteps heading for the toilet. A window was located from above the toilet seat and her sensitive ears distantly caught the sound of the front door slamming shut with a brute force as she tried to make her escape through the window.

She had her right leg half-way lifted up before Shuichi opened the door. She quickly whirled her head around, the lightning speed that accompanied the motion causing her to momentarily worry if her neck had snapped. But, the movements of her head turning to avoid Shuichi's stoic gaze denied her of her fears. She felled from the toilet seat, landing on her knees on the tiled floor as surprise laced with humiliation flitted over her features and caused her to lose her balance. Arms suddenly hooked their way around her waist and Botan was vividly—awfully—aware of the muscles flexing under her digits as she unintentionally placed her hand on Shuichi's—bare—chest. The instant he helped her up from the floor, Botan harshly shoved him off and spun on her heels and ran for the living room.

There was no hiding place there and Botan swiftly scampered into the threshold of Shuichi's and her brother's shared room. She shut the door behind her—acutely aware of her trembling legs that were ready to give out and she let them, falling limply on her butt on the green-carpeted floor. Oh, effing god! What the hell was she doing? She was making such a fool of herself—getting caught overhearing Shuichi's sexual endeavors and seeing him nearly nude in a toilet were the last things she expected—or wanted—to happen on her list.

The thudding footsteps walked out of the kitchen and stopped right in front of her hiding spot.

"You in there, Botan?" Shuichi's voice, always so impassive, rang in her ears, sounding muffled through the shut door. Botan started slightly but quickly schooled her features.

"Now now, Minamino," she responded drily, with a dangerous edge of bitterness in her tone.

Silence—tense, unbearable silence—engulfed the two of them for a while. Then came a sigh, surprising her with the exasperation dripping from the expelled breath. "Oh, please," he retorted wryly, "Don't be a child. She's gone."

The second sentence made the girl lift her head up. She blinked, frowning as a skeptical expression came to dance over her countenance. The door slamming noise from earlier confirmed the truth behind his words—yet it would not hurt to be sure. "… Really?" she asked in uncertainty, leaning forward and spinning around to fix an innocent gaze on the door.

"Yeah, really. Why would I lie?" The emotionless tone was back now, implying that he had regained his composure. It irked her and baffled her and amazed her all at the same time how quickly his mood could change and how easily he could assert authority over his own emotions.

"Are you… uh, decent?" she couldn't help but inquire as she remembered the state of dress—or lack thereof—he was in earlier. Why was it that everytime she saw him, he was never fully clothed? Another rosy hue formed on her cheeks but she swiftly delivered a right slap on the right mound of flesh to somehow force the flush to disappear. And for some reason, it did.

"I don't really see the point in asking, considering you've seen me half-naked before," he stated bluntly that the blush instantly came back, heating up her face more than before and turning it into a bright red that could have rivalled Shuichi's fiery mane. Yet this time it was not out of embarrassment—well, half of it was—and it mixed with slight fury.

"Goddammit, Minamino!" she hissed. "Just answer the question."

There was a pause from the other side of the door—either it was due to Shuichi contemplating whether he should tell her the full truth or merely because he couldn't grasp the reason why she was livid, she was unsure. Nor did she care.

"Yes, I am," he eventually spoke. "Now will you please open the door?"

Botan considered saying no, in fear that he was bluffing just to persuade her—but decided against it when she heard an impatient cough emitting from the redhead—who was rapidly losing his cool by the minute. She suddenly realized she was hiding in his room and that if she were him, she would have been equally exasperated. Especially if he were the one caught listening in on her having sex with someone—even if it was not on purpose.

"Okay," she finally relented, though only out of pity. Standing up from the floor, Botan dusted off the debris from her pants before she fisted a hand around the doorknob. Pushed it open. Then she met eye contact with a pair of green orbs—the owner still noticeably without a shirt. Color rose to her face once more and she whirled, trying to close the door once more—and to think she assumed he wouldn't lie to her! The nerve!—but she didn't manage to when a hand quickly grabbed ahold of the side of the door, promptly pushing it open. Botan let out a startled yelp, staggering back and nearly falling on her butt before she succeeded to find balance once more.

"I thought you said you were decent!" she cried out in indignation, suddenly irritated as she watched him calmly strolled past her. He walked towards the dress shirt lying on the bed before focusing a genuinely—innocently—befuddled stare on her fuming form.

"This _is_ decent," he told her slowly, yet in a matter-of-factly way, "to me anyway."

Botan tried to sound out a smart remark, but the words soon died out in her throat as she eyed the redhead slid on the white shirt. The gliding of the linen fabric against his veiny arms and muscly upper shoulders was too glorious to watch. She swiftly averted her gaze to the blank, boring wall.

"You still pissed?"

The startling fact that _Shuichi Minamino_ just said the word _pissed_ did not escape her—yet she slipped on an impassive mask as instantly as his words took her off guard. "No," she uttered evenly, but the underlying tinge of animosity begged to differ. He paid no mind to her tone.

"Good girl." He nodded before turning towards her as he finished buttoning up his shirt. His eyes studied her, scrutinizing her in a manner that made her abruptly self-conscious. "Why did you hide?" he questioned and she blinked as if to snap out of a spell— _his_ spell.

"Er, because I saw something that would probably scar me for life? No, of course not," she replied sarcastically before emitting a disgusted scoff. But Shuichi was still calm and it didn't sit well with her to be the only one unexplanably frustrated, so she immediately collected herself. "Who's Kurama, by the way?" she asked as she recalled the name the woman gasped out during the sexual intercouse she had the displeasure of overhearing.

Her response came in the form of a light shrug of Shuichi's left shoulder. "It's sort of a code name. An alias or something."

She nodded, still stoic as she uttered, "Right. Okay. You sleep with women at night and you have an alias. What else do I need to know?"

He blinked at her unexpected composure, one well-sculptured red eyebrow raising in question at the second inquiry that left her lips. "I prefer the term 'fucking', but yeah, that's generally what I do."

Fucking. Generally what he did. One word and one sentence she would never expect to hear from the supposedly mild-mannered Shuichi Minamino.

Botan was beginning to suspect that this New Shuichi was an impostor—or at least 100% different than the Old Shuichi she used to be good friends with. It disappointed her and angered her slightly at the same time that he changed so much. And it wasn't even for better.

But Botan hid her dislike over his new disposition as well as she could manage—she was as good as Shuichi when it came to masking her emotions and the fact that she was looking him straight in the eyes proved that as a point. "What _do_ you do exactly?"

"I'm an escort." He paused. "Kinda."

"The kind that accompany someone on a social event," she started, a smirk growing on her lips, "or the kind that people hire for sexual services?" She expected him to be angry over the taunting tone she used—but then again this was Shuichi Minamino. And he was rarely ever peeved at anyone.

"Both, actually." The honest response that formed on his lips caught her by surprise. And the moment his eyes met hers, the tinge of mischief dancing in them barely conceivable with that cheeky grin displayed on his features—she wondered if she just walked right into a trap. For some reason, she got the feeling she would regret proceeding with this conversation. But she quickly told the voice nagging at her from the back of her head to shut the hell up and back off. Her gut did a somersault, but she briskly ignored it.

"Oh." She forced her features into a disinterested look. "Don't escorts usually go to their clients' place, and not their own's?"

"Most. But I prefer mine."

Right, of course. Because that was a good reason to make her brother's room into his sexing chamber. "And Souta doesn't mind any of this?" she asked, the composure on her face disrupted by the confusion flitting over her physiognomy.

His smile seemed to broaden and Botan resisted a shiver as she caught on to the teasing undertones in the quirk of the corners of his mouth. "No, not exactly. He's quite a promiscuous guy himself, if you must know."

First, he taunted her about her bad sibling terms with her brother. And now he was inexplacably trying to be playful. His constant mood swings were similar to that of her brother's and for a moment, she wondered if Souta's awful demeanor had somewhat rubbed off on him.

"Right." She pushed away the musings pestering her at the back of her mind, trying not to focus on them as she stared calmly at Shuichi's equally composed emerald irises. "And, er, how much do you get paid to do all this?"

"What?" he chortled. "Want me to recommend you to my agency or something?"

 _Agency. Escort agency._ She repeated those words in her mind a couple more times before she promptly shook her head. Blood rushed to her cheeks, breaking her act at placidness. "No," she murmured. "Just… wondering, is all."

He nodded, his grin taking on a more self-satisfied approach as he observed her flushed face. It made her wonder if all the seductive glint in his eyes and teasing smile from earlier was all an effort at trying to disrupt her equanimity.

"Oh. Sure. You wouldn't have much to impress anyway, now would you?" he playfully responded and Botan's cheeks turned redder in offended anger.

"Go to hell, Minamino," she spat, whipping around to walk out the room. Shuichi laughed, following after her.

"Only if you're not there," came his smart remark, which was soon followed by a pillow thrown into his face. Shuichi's fit of laughters came to an abrupt halt, subsiding and dissipating into thin air as the pillow slowly glided off his countenance. His smirk was gone now, replaced with a single thin line as he pinned a glare on the girl's form now sitting on the couch. "Very mature."

"Whatever." She stuck her tongue out at him, pleased that she managed to get him to stop making fun of her. "You never answered my question," she reminded him as she watched him throw the pillow on an unoccupied space on the couch—it landed right beside her shoulder before falling to the right side of her lap. She pursed her lips, wondering idly for a second if he had attempted to hit her with it. It was almost a threat—a warning not to push his buttons.

"Depends on how well I perform, and how rich the client is," the young man answered as he crash-landed at her left. His arm wrapped on the spot close to the back of her head and she immediately moved her torso forward in order to avoid contact.

"And how many clients do you get?"

"I don't suppose that's any of your business, now is it?"

"Right. Don't know why I asked. Sorry," Botan said bitterly, somewhat disappointed at the harsh way he responded to her question. Then again, she probably would have given the same reply—it was much too personal, after all—but wasn't it all business? She couldn't tell. Too Shuichi, it might be both.

There was a pause, and it seemed Shuichi noticed his cold treatment towards her. Usually, the redhead wouldn't bother to apologize but for some reason, eyeing her solemn look made him feel all weird. And god help him, he was beginning to feel bad—guilty, almost. "It's fine," he mumbled before he decided to direct the conversation to another topic. "Want to do something?"

Pools of amethysts blinked, before casting a baffled gaze at his direction. "Together?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't imply that, now would I?"

"Oh." Botan flushed, but a smile found its way to her lips. "Yeah, right. Um, what do you suggest?" she asked nervously. She would be lying if she said she didn't miss spending time with him.

Shuichi didn't respond at once and merely bent down to reach for something underneath the couch. He pulled out a CD with a cover Botan wished she hadn't seen. "Porn?" he told her so casually that she was starting to wonder what went through his head.

He blinked at her lack of reply before he briskly saw the scowl on her lips and promptly placed the CD back to its original place. "On second thought, maybe not. Just an ordinary movie then?"

She nodded, a breath of relief escaping her as she saw him slide the porn film back under the couch. "Yes, as plain and ordinary as possible." The entire events of the day were all too weird for her to handle and she needed some normalcy before she'd lose the capability to retain her sanity.

"Like you?" A pinch at his rear and he flinched before wincing. "Ouch. Just kidding."

Botan's rosy nails immediately released the lump of flesh they managed to clutch onto. "I can't tell when you're serious or when you're not."

A smile slowly curved at the edge of his lips. "No one will ever know."

* * *

"What's wrong?"

It had been thirty minutes since then and Botan and Shuichi had managed to get some snacks and cold beverages—not alcohol, thankfully, because Botan didn't drink. Though Shuichi did suggest it at first before she protested and they got into a little argument—and now they sat in silence as the movie displayed on the TV screen illuminated a nearly ominous light in the dark shadows surrounding the living room. It wasn't about five minutes later did Shuichi notice the faraway look in Botan's purple-shaded orbs and was unable to contain his curiosity— _not worry, just curiosity_ , he told himself—and decided to ask what was the matter with her.

She blinked before turning to look at him. "Huh?" came her stupid response before she quickly grasped what he meant by that. "Oh. Er, nothing."

"You sure?" He frowned. "You don't really seem like you're into this at all. Is something bothering you?"

Botan went to make up and excuse—but decided against it as she realized Shuichi would catch on to her bluff no matter how hard she tried. It still amazed her how similar he was to that of a lie detector. It was so easy for him to read right through her—through anyone.

"Kinda," she finally answered.

"What is it?"

"Still sort of thinking about what happened… you know… in the bedroom."

The crease marring Shuichi's otherwise smooth forehead deepened ever so slightly. He thought they had finished discussing this. Unless… "Why? You're jealous?"

"No!" Botan strongly cried out her denial, despite her insides for some reason pleading to say yes—but why? It wasn't as if she harbored any special affections towards him. "Just… I've never seen something like that before. And I don't know why, but I can't take my mind off of it." That was partly the truth, and partly a lie. She was aware that Shuichi could see through the bluff and probably call her out for it. And she knew he noticed when she saw his eyebrows rise in slight wonder.

But he didn't say anything. Instead, he nodded. Complying. Playing along. She knew it was because he noticed her lack of desire to speak about how she was feeling. It bewildered her how rude yet considerate he could be sometimes.

"You've never watched porn?" he suddenly asked her and she blushed before shooting a glare at the smirk he was sporting on his face.

"Why is it that you always find away to turn every conversation into a perverted one?" she responded and huffed. She earned a nonchalant shrug in return and took that as a cue to continue, "And even if I did, I don't see any reason why I should tell you."

"I told you about my job."

Botan was unresponsive.

"You're not lesbian, are you?"

She eventually let out a startled-laced-horrified gasp. "No, I am not!"

Shuichi's arms flung up in the air defensively. "Hey, I have nothing against homosexuality. If you swing that way…" There was more, but Botan couldn't hear any of it as the rest of his words were drowned out by the sound of his loud, wholehearted laughter. She punched a fist against his shoulder and he instantly quieted down—although there were a few snickers here and there. "Just playing, Bo."

Botan's irritation dissipated like melted ice the moment she heard the nickname escape his lips. It had been a long time since she heard him call her that—and she had missed it. Her features softened and a smile found its way to her lips. "Shut up, Minamino," she jokingly replied with playful bump against his shoulder. "I like men, thank you."

Shuichi laughed as she told him to shut up—but the chuckles soon died down in the air as her shoulder met contact with his. The soft tendrils of her blue hair brushed against his cheek—ticklish—and his smile dropped from his countenance. Before he realized it, he had one hand already streaking up and down her right side. Botan froze, turning frigid under his ministrations. He leaned closer until his lips hovered just an inch from her ear, his hot breath ghosting over the sensitive skin of her earlobe. "And what kind of men exactly do you favor?" he whispered, the seductive tone in his voice causing the girl to flush bright red—and if she didn't know any better, he was actually flirting with her.

"Shuichi," she called in slight warning, "I'm not one of your clients. What do you think you're doing?" she hissed before placing a hand on his chest to shove him away. However, he only pulled her closer and that was when she noticed that the top buttons of his dress shirt were undone, leaving a teasing view of his alabaster chest presented right beneath her nose.

His free hand took ahold of her chin and forced her to face him before his eyes quickly found hers—his were half-lidded and heated while hers were wide with surprise. "Care to find out?" He smirked, and before she could respond, claimed her lips in a searing kiss. Botan whimpered into the lip-lock, trying to push him off. But his lips were gentle, with a demanding touch, and she couldn't resist the urge to give in no sooner than she fought. He tasted vaguely of mint—almost like honeysuckle—and she moaned as he deepened the kiss, crushing the curves of her form against the hard contours of his figure as his hands felled to her hips, pulling her closer. A growl rumbled from the back of his throat as she hooked her arms around his neck and she gasped as the tips of his nails dug into the fabric of her jeans. The rough texture of his tongue met contact with the plump flesh of her lower lip—and that was when reality came rearing its ugly head, smacking Botan across the face.

A surprised, terrified gasp escaped her and she swiftly pushed him off. Shuichi didn't struggle, letting her shove him away as she got up to her feet and stared wide-eyed into the composed ones of pools of green. Her heart palpitalted wildly in her chest—though she was unable to comprehend whether it was because of the heat of that adult-rated kiss or due to the realization that she shouldn't be doing this with someone she only considered a friend. A friend… a… friend…

"I—I need to go," she whispered, struggling to get the words out in the midst of her quivering lips. But go where? There was a guest room—she knew because her brother told her before—but she never bothered to know where it was. And she couldn't as well stay in Shuichi's—especially not after what happened between them. And especially not when he was being so impassive about it even as she was getting worked up.

She needed to leave. Needed to not see his face. The more nonchalant he acted, the more it hurt her at the middle of her chest. It didn't matter if she had to search the whole house—if it meant that she could find a place to take refuge.

She didn't wait for a response and spun on her heels before quickly taking off.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello, Wendy here. Just gotta tell you guys something before I go. I'm not really good at this sort of thing so I'm sorry if I may come across as too straightforward—but I won't be updating any of my stories for a while. Partly because I'd be too busy after this but mostly due to some personal problems I'm having in life that's making me lose my will and interest to write. I do not want to lose my passion as an author though—so I think that maybe I should stop for a while, try to find some solutions to my problems and get up on my feet before I continue any of my fics. I want to come up with the best chapters for my readers after all—and I can't do that when I'm stressed most of the time. Even this chapter came out worse than I expected it would. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience and I humbly request you of your patience. I'm terribly sorry for this news, I know it will disappoint most of you—but I'll be back! I'll guarantee it! So I _will_ see you later and I _will_ update!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** She was forced to see her distant brother, but instead she met with an old friend who she hadn't seen for six years. She hadn't exactly been looking forward to the weekend—and why was this guy treating her so coldly anyway? AU, KB.

 **Chapter 3**

The first thing that went through Botan's head the moment she woke up that morning was— _oh, shit_.

The girl's gaze transfixed at the wall, her eyes blank and her mouth slighly ajar. Events of yesterday played in her head—rewinding again and again like a broken record. Souta out on a business trip, finding out she was staying with Shuichi, overhearing him having sex and finding out he was an escort, and that kiss—That _kiss_! Blood immediately rushed to her cheeks, though she was unsure whether it was out of embarrassment over the memory or the pure shame at herself that flooded her whole being.

One day. _One_ day! She had only been reunited with the guy for _one_ day—and yet she… _she_...! Didn't she have no feelings for Shuichi? In fact, she used to date his _best friend_. So why did she respond to the kiss? No—better yet, why did Shuichi even make a move on her in the first place, anyway? More questions bombarded her poor, little mind until finally, Botan buried her head under the pillow—the sound muffled as she screamed out of frustration. This was driving her nuts! Putting more thoughts and deliberation on this was literally pushing her over the edge—but for some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about it no matter how hard she tried. Shuichi refused to leave her alone, infesting memories of himself and what not should have been a scorching hot make out session into the depths of her head.

It made her wonder if she harbored an attraction— _just a bit_ —for the redhead. But that wasn't possible, right? She had known him for six years and though Shuichi was undoubtedly gorgeous, she never saw him in _that_ kind of limelight. At least, in the past she knew she didn't. But the moment she stepped in this apartment, she couldn't deny that he was beautiful—and hot. Definitely hot. But that still did not justify her reason for kissing him. And him, her. Maybe… maybe Shuichi…?

 _Nah_. She scratched off the possibility, inwardly bursting out laughing at the prospect of Shuichi Minamino seeing _her_ as a love interest. For all the years they had been friends, Shuichi had never—not even once—showed any indication that he might have harbored more than friendly affections towards her. No, if anything their relationship was completely platonic—no attraction, nothing sexual—just _friends_. Which was why she could not help but be bothered by that kiss from last night.

Botan furiously shook her head as images of Shuichi's lips meeting her trembling ones invaded her mind for the umpteenth time that day. No. She had to stop dwelling on this. The more she thought about it, the more she began to doubt her actual feelings for Shuichi. And she couldn't have that. She was _certain_ that she did not feel anything special for him—and she could not let one simple kiss disrupt the way she saw him.

A knock at the door broke her out of her reverie.

"Botan?" Shuichi's voice was muffled as it echoed from the other side of the wooden material—sounding as stoic and calm as always. It aggravated her—how could he act so… so casual when she was literally at her wits' end? Botan summoned enough control to not let her brewing irritation show as she responded with a mere, acknowledging hum.

"There's breakfast on the table if you want some," he told her before a short pause lingered in the air, as if he was waiting for her to say something. When she continued to be unresponsive, he took that as a cue and went on, "I'm going out to do some groceries. You want anything?" he asked her, the last question deliberately let out so as to not leave her any choice but to answer.

Botan pursed her lips, features thoughtful as she decided against justifying him with a reply. Instead, she waited for him to go away—ears perked up for any sound of his footsteps drifting away—probably back to the kitchen or the living room to do whatever the hell he wanted. But none came. Seconds ticked by yet the sound still ceased to exist.

Shuichi was still outside the guest room.

"Botan…" he started but she did not give him the chance to reprimand her for being rude.

"I don't want anything," she answered quickly, the words obviously forced out as her voice dripped with slight annoyance—and a dangerous edge of bitterness.

Silence engulfed the two of them for a while. "Okay," Shuichi eventually spoke—and then after deafening moments, she could finally hear the thudding footsteps of his feet against the flat surface of the floor as he walked away from there.

Botan heaved a soft sigh, somewhat relieved to have him out of her hair. She was aware that she probably treated him harsher than what was warranted—but she couldn't help it. It irked her how easily he could kiss her—and then act as if nothing had happened. Did he not feel anything at all? She knew that probably wasn't the case as he always did hide his emotions underneath the surface—but still… She was his close peer—they were almost like family—for a good six years. Shouldn't this be inducing more effect from him than usual? Or was she just hoping for him to show some kind of reaction?

As she threw her legs over the bed and stood on the cold floor with her bare feet—she realized that she was. The guest room was empty—of any furniture except for the bed—which had not been in disarray until she had entered, hinting that no one had been in here for as long as possible—probably even longer than she could guess. She remembered flopping on the bed, twisting and turning until the sheets were tangled around her limbs in a beautiful mess—her head thinking of the possibilities of Shuichi's responses to the kiss the morning she would wake up. But of course, that morning had arrived—and she was left with nothing but a sore reminder that this was not the Old Shuichi she was talking about and the bitter disappointment that she might no longer mean anything to him at all. It hurt her—more than she could possibly describe—but she knew she had to get over it. Shuichi was still her friend after all—even if he probably didn't see her that way—and she couldn't let her own fury get in between of their friendship. She cared for him too much to let that happen.

She strolled for the door and reached for the knob—only to hover her hand an inch from the doorknob as she mused over the appropriate way to greet him and apologize for her rude demeanor. Going at it casually would probably be the best way—but it was also the hardest method, considering that she could not exactly slip on a mask of without the circumstances making it difficult for her to do.

She snapped back into reality as her ears caught the distinct sound of the front door slamming shut. Wait, where did he—oh, right. Groceries. He was going grocery shopping. He told her. Was it too late?—No. She had more opportunities to speak to him. After all, she still had one day left before she had to go back to Osaka.

With that line of thought repeating itself over and over in her head like a soft lullaby, Botan slid out of the room and went for the toilet in the kitchen. Taking a small detour to the living room, the girl briskly grabbed the stuff needed from her backpack. She spared only a fleeting glance at the food on the table before she proceeded on her tracks for the bathroom.

Time for a cold shower.

* * *

Sounds of kids playing and adults chattering surrounded her as she walked along the busy park. Botan halted in her tracks just a few seconds as a couple of children ran in front of her. Her eyes subconsciously followed their every movement—eyeing as the little boy and girl ran for the swings with their hands tightly clutching onto each other. A bump at the shoulder and she blinked, almost as if snapping out of a trance. The sight of a look of displeasure flitting over a brunette man's face caused her to apologize for—what? Bumping into him? She wasn't sure. The guy expelled a disgusted scoff and gave her one last sneer before he walked away with his girlfriend clinging onto his arm like a vice with her small, petite hands. Botan offered a weak smile to herself.

How did she end up here?

The last thing she remembered was watching the TV and drifting in and out of short, morning naps before she quickly got bored of it and decided to head out somewhere. Shuichi had permitted her a spare key—though it was only through a crumpled note, almost as if he had been folding it and unfolding it for a bunch of times before sliding it under the tiny cup in which was where she had found it. After a while of mindlessly walking around the hustle and bustle of the city, she found her legs bringing her to unfamilliar grounds. By the time she realized she was in the park, she could hardly care of what brought her here and merely strolled around glancing here and there—until whatever held her mind captive granted her her freedom and she broke out of the spell and regained herself before questioning her true purpose of coming here. She shrugged the questions away no sooner than they had appeared though, and decided—oh what the hell—and found a unoccupied bench before taking a seat on it.

She had not even the inkling of an idea of what to do—so she just sat there, studying the area surrounding her. From the right, she could see a bunch of kids building a sandcastle—from her left, a romantic couple buying ice cream and whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears. Her gaze lingered on the lovers for a longer time than was necessary before the weird, nearly terrified glances the girlfriend kept shooting at her had her embarrassed at being caught staring. Her ears bright red, she apologized for her lack of manners and respect for privacy before she briskly looked away. She wondered briefly if Shuichi would worry about her when he gets back and finds out she was gone—before she swiftly brushed off the possibility of his concerns as she recalled his note—" _This is a spare key, in case you get tired of being locked up in the apartment_ "—and she realized he would only shrug off her absence as a sign that she had only gone out somewhere.

A bone-chilling breeze abruplty blew at the soft tendrils of her blue hair, the cold draft causing her skirt to lift up before she quickly pushed the pink fabric down to her lap with a slightly rosy hue coloring her cheeks. Leaning forward and pressing her thighs together, Botan placed her elbows on either side of her knees as she buried her chin in the smoothness of her palms. Her pools of amethysts gaped idly at the spot in front of her—until a body walked up to her and stood before her, promptly blocking her view. She blinked as the revelation of her unable to no longer see the trees hit her too slowly for her taste. Delicate blue brows furrowed into a crease of frustration that marred her forehead as she thought— _how rude! Stepping in front of someone like that!_ —and glared up at the owner to reprimand them of their lack of manners.

Amethysts met emeralds and the look quickly dropped from her countenance.

"S-Shuichi!" she cried out in surprise, eyes wide as she stared up at the unusually composed redhead. The young man quirked his lips up into a half smile and that was when she noticed the bag of plastic he was holding in his right hand. One glance told her that Shuichi had finished shopping for groceries—another glance informed her of the vanilla treat he was extending to her face. She blinked at it uncertainly and when she made no move to accept the kind gesture, Shuichi cleared his throat. Botan lifted her head to peer up at him but did not even manage to catch even a glimpse of his fiery crimson locks before he promptly took a seat beside her. Her irises blinked once more before she whirled her head to the side at the feel of another weight settling on the wooden bench.

Shuichi pressed the tip of the vanilla ice cream to her lips.

"Eat it," he told her simply before allowing her a moment to fully grasp the situation. Botan, still baffled at his sudden appearance, could only muster up a nod and a barely audible reply before she claimed the brown cone in her nail-polished fingers. Shuichi released as soon as her right hand wrapped around the cold treat before pushing his hands into the warmth and safety of his pockets.

As she took the first lick—and permitted the icy substance to melt on the tip of her tongue—Botan was suddenly—acutely—conscious of his eyes ogling her hunched form. She stole a sidelong glance at the redhead, face heating up as she noticed the downward casting of his green orbs. His gaze lingered on the exposed skin of her small, round shoulders, her sexy collarbone and the teasing view of her cleavage—and abruptly, she pondered if today had been the right decision to wear a ruffled crop-top. The black article of clothing fitted perfectly around her supple figure and did no justice in covering more than it did in revealing as Botan grew more restless under Shuichi's intense stare. Inhaling a shaky breath, the girl briskly sat up straight—suddenly she felt incredibly high-strung and self-conscious in Shuichi's presence. On one hand, she was uncomfortable under his leer—on the other hand, she was actually flattered as she caught on to the appreciative gleam in his usually blank yet vibrant pools of peridots. He was admiring her—and the knowledge that such a being with god-like features actually deemed her desirable made her feel somewhat special—honored, almost.

But this was Shuichi Minamino. He was a good friend and he was not supposed to be eyeing her with such heat and lust in his green irises. And more importantly, she should not be enjoying this attention. But she was—and before she could stop herself, she casted what she could only suspect a flirty glance at his direction. Shuichi caught the look—as brief and fleeting as it was—and it almost seemed obvious that he was fighting to control himself. An impish grin then unexpectedly form on his lips—and that was the moment Botan snapped out of it and realized _what_ exactly she was doing. She turned her head away, heart beating wildly in her chest as her cheeks flushed scarlet once more. Shuichi didn't say anything though, and she was more than glad—she would have bolted for escape if he had even uttered one word that did not lace with seduction and playful flirtation. Then again, she was practically practicing hypocrisy—just a while ago, she actually flirted back.

Long minutes passed and the only remnants of her ice cream was the cone she still had yet to devour. Botan quirked an eyebrow as Shuichi's longer, callous fingers met contact with hers that were still wrapped around the cone. He leaned in, biting chumps after chumps of the brown triangular thing until there was no more, catching the girl off guard. Botan watched as his tongue darted out from his slightly parted lips—the wet appendage curled around and lapped up the crumbs that remained on various parts of her hand. The feel of his tongue brushing against her warm flesh brought a shiver—and it was not out of fear—to travel down her spine—the look on his face bordering on slutty as his eyes studied hers whilst he continued his ministrations. She could have easily pulled away if she wanted to and Shuichi would have stopped if he knew she didn't allow it—but she didn't. She just stared, eyelashes heavy as she eyed him pull apart. But his hand remained on hers.

"About last night…" he began and Botan started slightly before she briskly schooled her features.

"It wasn't on purpose, I get it. You didn't know what came over yourself," she spoke evenly—almost harshly. Shuichi's hand twitched and guilt suddenly crept up her skin. She collected herself before adding in a softer voice this time, "Really. It's fine. I was partly to blame."

"Blame?" Shuichi gave her a tight smile as his hand abruptly released its hold on hers. She caught a flicker of hurt in his emerald orbs—but she was unable to make sure if it was not merely her imagination as he swiftly slipped on that mask of placidness. "I never said anything about regretting it," he murmured, though she heard him crystal clear. "Do you?" he asked her—and was that a tinge of fear she could sense in his voice? It couldn't be.

She swiftly squashed that line of thought. Did _she_ regret it? Up until a moment ago, she thought she did. But after what had just occurred between them, Botan couldn't even make out her thoughts in the now jumbled mess she called her mind.

An honest response formed on her lips. "I-I don't know."

"I see…" he mumbled, nodding once at her uncertain answer. But she could somewhat sense that he was, for some reason, dissatisfied with the reply—he obviously didn't dwell on it though as he soon regained his sense of indifference and inquired, "How's life in Osaka, by the way?"

Botan, who hadn't expected him to pull an attempt at small conversation, pinned a dumbfounded stare on his physiognomy before she realized he asked her a question. "Er, fine, I guess." Her answer was soon accompanied with the small adding of a light shrug of her left shoulder. "Well, life's life."

One red, well-sculptured eyebrow raised at her in interest. "Life's life?" he echoed her words and received a nod in return.

"Yeah." Botan idly curled a finger around a lost strand on her skirt. "I mean, I can't complain about it being tough, seeing as some people are in worse conditions than I am." She tugged at the pink lock, watching as the string broke off. She remembered the countless beggars she encountered—some she helped, most she could only offer pity. "Then again, life is never easy. It's never unfair. To anyone."

A thoughtful expression danced over Shuichi's countenance. "I suppose you're right," he eventually uttered after a while of quieted, surrounding air. "How's work?"

"Work's work."

"Your brother told me you're a waitress?"

Botan let out a scoffing sound at that, irritation brewing in her. "I bet he said something about the place being a rundown restaurant that isn't worth anything but being torn down for a five-star hotel, right?" she stated more than asked, a sharp bitterness dripping in the tone she used. A low chuckle rumbled from the redhead's throat.

"Quite a bit, yes," he responded, awe reflected in his eyes as he scrutinized the girl. "Amazing how you can tell."

"Meh." She shrugged once again, but a cheeky grin was evidently displayed on her charming features, spreading from ear to ear and revealing pearl white teeth. "I've known him for twenty years. It's a given."

"Not exactly. Most siblings these days don't exactly know each other that much anymore. Especially adults like us, who are too busy with work to care about family," he countered and the quirk on her lips seemed to broaden as she sensed a debate rising over the surface.

"You're right," she agreed, motioning her head to nod. "But the only reason I know that about my brother is because we've spent years trying to degrade one another. I at least anticipated an insult or two from him if he were ever to tell stories of me to his friends. Then again, I guess I only know the bad attributes that shape up his personality. Don't you think other siblings would be accustomed that kind of aspect in each other as well?"

"Touche." He clicked his tongue. "Touche, Fukuyama."

Botan laughed. "Guess I won that one." She grinned, feeling victorious for some reason. After all, rarely did she have Shuichi beaten in any department. It was sort of an ego burst. "Besides which, Souta is never _too_ busy for family. That much is apparent on his constant visits to mine and dad's house whenever his leisure time allows it so that he can rub it on my face that he's better than me." A pause. "He's not, though."

A loud, wholehearted chortle escaped Shuichi's lips as the competitive tone evident in her voice resonated in the fresh air. "Of course, he isn't." The corners of his mouth then curved upwards into a roguish smirk. He suddenly hovered a hand just an inch from his lap. "You guys are practically on the same level. This is me, though." And with that said, he raised his free hand above the top of his head.

Botan snorted and slapped both hands away. "Narcissistic much, Minamino?" she taunted and he answered with another chuckle and a click of his tongue.

"Very much, Fukuyama."

She burst out into a fit of short, girlish giggles at their playful banter. A moment passed before the pleasant sound sorely similar to that of jingle bells dissipated and faded away into thin air—leaving only a wistful, tender— _beautiful_ , Shuichi noted—smile in its wake. "I won't lie, you know?" she started, "I actually miss this kind of conversations with you," she told him, betraying all emotions as the honesty got the better of her and she allowed just a bit of yearning to flit over her features.

Peridot orbs softened.

"I do, too," Shuichi whispered and responded by giving her one of his charming smiles—but it soon faltered as a frown found its way to his forehead, tugging his mouth down into a single thin line. All gentleness was pushed aside as his countenance gave way to the impassive mask she was too accustomed to seeing. "But I can't," he droned slowly, "I can't…"

Botan frowned. "What do you mean, you can't? Shuichi—what are you…" she trailed off as he suddenly stood up from the bench. "Where are you going?" she asked fearfully, a wave of trepidation and a sense of concern overtaking her senses as she pondered if she had offended him somehow. But she never said anything that was remotely wrong—did she?

"I'm going to fetch us some drinks," he told her drily—the tart tone implying that he was somewhat upset with her. Botan nearly stood up as well—but one firm glance from the redhead immediately silenced her protests and sitted her down back on the bench.

"Shuichi…"

"Please, Botan." She blinked at his pleading voice. His eyes begged for her understanding. "I need to cool my head. Just… just leave me alone for a while, okay?" He stumbled over his words a little and that was so unlike Shuichi that Botan was tempted to say no.

But the terrified expression—why was he scared?—on his face lulled her into forced compliance. She nodded mutely, watching as Shuichi offered her a weak smile before he turned around and walked for the vending machine at the far corner of the park.

She continued to stare at his retreating back until his silhouette was lost in the midst of the large crowd. She then expelled a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping down as her back hunched once more. Did she do something wrong? She probably did, considering the odd behavior Shuichi had abruptly adopted. But god help her, she couldn't figure out what no matter how much she racked her brain for some sort of offensive attack she probably didn't realize she launched at him. Good lord, what was she supposed to do now? Now that she finally broke through a wall of Shuichi's defense—he never had that around her, but after their reunion he was unusually guarded, even with her—she just _had_ to screw it up, didn't she? Botan sighed once more, wondering if there was anything she could do to make it up to him. For one thing, he harbored an especially keen interest for flowers so she could get—wait, a girl getting a guy flowers? She had an inkling suspicion that that would be a harsh blow to Shuichi's inflated male pride and ego. No—perhaps another method? But—

"Excuse me?" an unfamilliar voice reverberated in her ears, snapping her out of her musings. Botan blinked, then looked up to see a young man with raven hair and hazel eyes. He smiled at her—the quirk on his lips so friendly that Botan found no resistance in returning the smile.

"Yes?" she acknowledged him, regarding him with a raised eyebrow as he raised his camera a little to seize her attention.

"I know this is sudden, but…" he started slowly, a blush creeping up his cheeks. "I'm an amateur photographer, miss. It's… sort of a part-time job. I'm kinda like a trainee or something, and, uh…" he rambled on and on before he realized she didn't get what he was saying. He cleared his throat before collecting himself. "A-anyway, my boss asked for a nice—er, I mean, an interesting enough photo if I wanted to work full-time. He offered me a week yet I still haven't found anything remotely… special to catch his interest. I really need the money, and well, my boss is kinda a hard man to please."

"Oh! I get it!" Botan chortled, cutting off the man's elaboration for a moment to allow a soft giggle to leave her lips. She was suddenly reminded of Koenma from back home. "My employer is kind of like that as well."

"Oh… so you must understand what I'm going through, right?" The young man's solemn features seemed to brighten up into a wide, jovial grin. He earned a nod in return and the whole air around them seemed to become warm. "That's great! So, I, er, would like to ask for a favor."

Botan blinked. "A favor?"

"Yes. I've been wandering around looking for something inspiring as a photo—then I saw you. That blue hair and those jewel-like eyes! I knew in an instant that you were the one!" he beamed with such an alacrity that Botan couldn't help but feel flustered.

"T-the one? You mean… you want me to model?"

"Just for a few pictures, yes." A frown suddenly nestled on his forehead as he finally noticed her uneasiness. "Unless you don't want to," he added reassuringly, but Botan caught the flicker of disappointment in his brown orbs. It was fleeting, but the girl knew she saw it.

The young man excused himself and asked for forgiveness for being rude before whipping around to walk the other way—and that was when she found her voice. "Wait!" she called out to him with an extended arm and blushed hotly as he turned around to face her. "I, um… I would love to." She momentarily cleared her throat. "I mean, it would be an honor."

"Oh!" The young man beamed once more. "Thank you, miss! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your kindness. So, er… should we get started?"

Botan nodded, though she was still noticeably emitting waves of tension and nervous air. "How would you like me? To pose, I mean."

"Anyway you like. Just be yourself. I'd like my camera to catch the real you." A warm smile danced over his lips. "You are very radiant, miss. It would be a shame to not have that in photo."

Usually that kind of smooth talk wouldn't work on her—and even if it did, it would have reduced her to a flushing, squirming mess. But the sincerity that flooded from the photographer's bright smile was enough to make her relax. Botan smiled and nodded her head, ready for the click of the camera.

The young man nodded in affirmative before focusing it on her. His index finger clicked on the button on top and there came a flash.

* * *

Shuichi was giving himself the mental ass-kicking of the year. What the effing loving _hell_ was he doing? Wasn't the whole purpose of him moving into Tokyo was so he could be as far away as possible from the individual named Botan Fukuyama? Although, that kind of backfired six years from then as he unexpectedly met her again when she was forced to stay at her brother's apartment—but that still didn't give him an excuse for his recent behavior. It was one thing to want to bed her—it was another to allow her to pull at the strings of his heart—he had permitted her to worm into his emotions once and he would not let it happen again. The first time it did, it ended badly—for him.

He wondered what kind of act he would have to put up with once he saw her. He could act casual—pretend that nothing was wrong. It was easier to pretend as if nothing happened. It always had been.

His mind suddenly drifted to the kiss he shared with her from the night before and he quickly shook his head. That was his mistake number one. He ate the cone and licked the crumbs off her skin: mistake number two. He couldn't let anymore slip ups to occur—or who knows how else he would have to pick up the pieces when everything was over. It was difficult and torturing as it was the first time—he did not want to go through the pain all over again.

However, as he walked back to her with two cans of soda in both hands—all thoughts seemed to disappear. He stared wide-eyed at the scene presented in front of him, his gut doing a somersault and he suddenly felt nauseous. Botan sat there laughing with a man—looking as pretty and happy as she was. No—this was wrong. She only laughed that way when she was with _him_.

The humanity in his eyes dissipated, giving way to only what one could recognize as jealousy. He expelled a deep breath and then strolled up to the chattering pair. He was letting pure green envy get the better of him and cloud his better judgement—but he could have cared less. All he knew was that Botan was his and only his—and he would let that message sink into her if he had to.

And feeling this way when he shouldn't—

—That was his mistake number three.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** She was forced to see her distant brother, but instead she met with an old friend who she hadn't seen for six years. She hadn't exactly been looking forward to the weekend—and why was this guy treating her so coldly anyway? AU, KB.

 **Chapter 4**

"And what exactly do you think you're doing?"

Botan's fit of giggles subsided into thin air as soon as the words, dangerously laced with venom, cut short the laughter like knife through butter. Unaware of the tone but noticing the familiarity in the voice, Botan lifted her gaze up to greet her redheaded friend.

"Shuichi, you never would believe…" Her radiance dissipated, the cheery tone in her voice shoved away in the instant her eyes met his cold ones. She abruptly felt uneasy. "What?" she asked him, growing restless under his smoldering gaze.

Shuichi proceeded to stare at her with that weird look on his countenance for about a few more moments before a smirk—one with sinister understones she could only compare with her brother's mocking sneers—curled at the edge of his lips. "I never would have taken you as one so easy, Fukuyama."

"W-what?" she stumbled over her own words, somewhat robbed of her capability for speech before she briskly collected herself and schooled her features. "What are you implying, Minamino?" she questioned, voice firmer this time as she fixed a stern ogle on his form.

Shuichi was undeterred under her serious glare, and only crossed his arms—in fact, she could have sworn the smirk on his face broadened just a tad bit before he uttered, with just as much sarcasm one could manage, the words, "Let me guess—" He threw his head back and studied her intently, "—you're that cheap that you would allow a complete stranger to take pictures of you?"

His words, along with the bitterness dripping in his voice, caught both the young photographer and the blue-haired woman—who was rapidly becoming livid by the moment—off guard.

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" she hissed, getting up on her feet with breakneck speed. Her hands clenched into fists and her teeth gritted against each other in pure frustration. She ignored the young man who was trying to calm her down. "What's going on with you? You're so nice one moment and then you're just—just—"

The stranger's hand landed on Botan's shoulder just in time to stop the girl from advancing forward and Shuichi's features considerably darkened. "Just what, Botan?"

"Just _this_! All of a sudden, you're a cruel, heartless bastard!" she growled, throwing her arms in the air, unaware of the hurt that flickered over Shuichi's usually emotionally-detached orbs.

"Well, at least I'm not the one selling myself for the whole world to see. What's the photo for, hmm? Let me guess, some inappropriate website where anyone can touch themselves at the image of—"

"Shut up, Minamino!" Botan cried out in indignation, tears of hurt springing to her eyes. What did he take her for?! A compulsive slut? "It's not like that, okay?"

"Then what is it, Botan? What am I misunderstanding over here because god help me, seems to me like you're having a blast with the guy."

Botan's eyes visibly shook in raging anger but before she could say more, the young man beside her quickly stood forward. "Um… I don't exactly get what's going on but… er, Botan-san was just helping me out. I needed the photo to get a full-time job and…"

"Save it, Shin-kun," Botan cut him off, amethyst irises still shooting daggers at the redhead before her. "It's not worth it wasting your breath for a guy like him. Explaining things like these to him would only be like talking to a wall. He's a stubborn mule—just like my brother!"

Shuichi's features grew fierce—almost threatening and menacing and Shin took that as his cue to leave. It didn't sit well with him to leave Botan alone to deal with this, but he knew better than to get in a lovers' quarrel—no, if anything he had an inkling suspicion that if he were to meddle, the situation would only worsen—and he did not want that for the kind young woman who had unconditionally offered him assistance.

Botan caught the doubtful look in his eyes and permitted a small, reassuring smile. "It's okay. You can go," she told him, voice tender yet stern, leaving no room for arguments. Shin hesitated for a moment before nodding his head.

"Thank you, Botan-san," he whispered and spared one last fleeting glance at her before turning around and walking away. Botan's smile seemed to widen and she waved a hand at his retreating back.

"How awfully friendly," Shuichi's half-growl reverberated in her ears and her hand dropped limply to the right side of her hip. The quirk on her lips wavered and she gave him another cold stare.

"What do you want, Shuichi? Like he said, there was nothing going on," she spoke calmly anyway, knowing that it would aggravate the redhead's already wrecking nerves.

And it did. "That still isn't a good enough excuse. What makes you think that all guys can be trusted? For all you know, pictures of you could be on a pornographic website the instant the next morning comes."

Botan was unperturbed—though she did flinch a little at his harsh tone. "I believe that Shin-kun isn't that kind of person. He's a decent human being—unlike _you_."

"Well, excuse me for being brutally honest—but in case it slipped your mind, you're not that perfect either," he shot back with equal equanimity as he regained his tattered composure—and shredded pride— and combined it all into a wave of collected string of insults. "You're constantly competing with your brother. You crave for the attention he has from the parents you sought for since your very childhood—they adore him but they put you down and that pisses you off and it makes you hate him. You want to be better but you're not—he's smarter, better looking and he has you sorely defeated in every aspect. Your loathing grows over time until it breaches adulthood and there's nothing left between you two but bitter rivalry. You're the type to let your own pride and ego get the better of you and you don't care if you sever your ties with a sibling if you can be better—and you want to be better. To be number one. To be perfect—but that's where you're wrong. That's exactly why you're not perfect and that's exactly why your parents don't care. You feel alone but you cover it up with feigned cheeriness. You're pathetic."

Botan's eyes were wide with shock by the time he was done with his long list of her bad attributes. Wrath brewed inside her—but she couldn't let it out no matter how hard she tried as hurt overflooded that emotion, taking over her and surrounding her like a dark cloud overlooming her head. The pain in the middle of her chest intensified—a snake was coiling around her heart and she fought to breath. She wanted to say something—wanted to make a smart comeback or retaliate with the same method or at least pummel him to the ground and beat some sense into that thick head of his—but she couldn't. She was unable to even move a muscle—she could only let her head droop low so that her long bangs covered her watering eyes as Shuichi's words sunk in and she realized exactly why she could utter nothing.

Shuichi was right. She felt out of place. She _was_ pathetic.

Shuichi panted heavily before he quickly caught his breath—and it was at that moment did he take note of her downcasted head and almost small form. At one long, hard look, it almost seemed like she was wavering uneasily—and he realized just how badly he hurt her. Shit. What the _hell_ had he _done_? Why did he say all those things? He meant not even a word of it. What pushed him to deliberately give her a mental breakdown?

It was simple. The answer was staring at him right in the face, slapping him hard across the left cheek:

Pure, unadulterated anger—and the ugly monster called envy.

This was the only time he had ever let his negative emotions get the better of him—and it wasn't at the best time possible. He tried to say something— _anything_. Flailing his arms around helplessly, the redheaded young man chewed on the plump skin of his lip, suddenly becoming irked at himself. Why did words have to fail him at a crucial time like this?

"Botan…" he trailed short as the girl in question abruptly lifted her head. And instead of warm tears, he saw shut long, black eyelashes. Instead of a frown, he was greeted by a jovial grin.

"He-he! You know what? I think all this bickering is growing old. I've been doing it a lot with my brother—and I really hope this doesn't happen again between us. Forget anything happened, okay? Just—forget it. Yeah." Her words were forced out almost harshly so, her laughter incredibly—obviously—fake as it resonated in the cold air. "I'm fine. Really," she uttered, more to herself than to him. The clock ticked five—it was sunset—but her smile felled. Then he was vividly—acutely—aware of the crystalline tears brimming at the back of her eyelids.

"I have to go," she murmured, and after a short, deafening silence that felt like interminable, spun on her heels and took off. Leaving him stunned and completely guilt-stricken.

He could have easily chased after her—but by the time he actually managed to muster up the grit to budge his left foot from the dirt, her silhouette was already gone. His foot felled back and his hands curled into tight, vengeful fists. He was such a coward—he always had been.

Botan had cried countless times before him—she had slipped on that cheerful mask on more occassions than one usually would assume; so much so that cracks were already forming on the surface. Yet she was good at pretending. She never let anyone in, never got too attached—except to him. He had seen her cry many times in the past—had threatened to find and butcher whoever caused her to be that awfully sad. And not once did she ever shed a tear because of him.

But now—now the tears were his to blame.

And not for the first time Shuichi found that he hated himself for being so weak.

* * *

The door unlocked with a soft click before it was pushed open. In came a redhead, the collar of his shirt disheveled after an unfortunate run-in with one of his clients' husband.

Never did he expect his search for Botan throughout the busy streets of Tokyo would lead to an angry old man—but Shuichi could not care less about any of that as his line of thought not so surprisingly took a turn to focus on his blue-haired companion. He had spent hours looking for her and yet he found not even a sign of her—after a while though he decided that perhaps he should head home; considering the fact she might be there. It came as no surprise that when he reached his doorstep, Shuichi racked his mind of the possible methods he could use to make it up to her. He went too far out of line this time—and god help him, he had no clue as to how he should fix this.

A heavy sigh was expelled into the cold air as Shuichi shut the door close behind him. He twisted the key until he heard the familiar clicking sound and slid it out of its hole. Slipping the silver key into the safety of the right pocket of his denim jeans, Shuichi then kicked off his shoes with a haste that was understandable at this point as his insides pleaded for Botan to be in the guest room. His loud thudding footsteps against the carpeted floor was lost in the midst of the thunder and lightning wreaking havoc outside. Distinctly, he was glad that he made it in time to his apartment before the weather got worst—in part, his choice of going back home was due to the dark clouds he couldn't help but notice decorating the once orange-dyed sky.

Shuichi's chest heaved up and down quickly in time with his heavy pants as he found himself standing in front of the guest room—then he realized that he had actually ran for her door. He fought to regain his breath and when he did, considered whether he should knock or not. After a thoughtful moment however, Shuichi finally decided against waltzing inside just like that—he had already offended her, he might as well be polite enough to knock; maybe that would help ease the tension a little—though he knew better than to wish that things would end on a happy note so easily like that. Then again, it never hurt to hope. In fact, hope was the only thing preventing him from falling into self-loathing mode right now.

Tentatively, the boy extended a trembling fist, inhaling a sharp intake of breath as his pale knuckles met contact with the cold, hard surface of the wooden door. He knocked once—then twice—and waited for her response. Long moments seemed to past by before he heard a low, hesitant 'yeah?' echoed from the other side of the door. His parted lips let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding as his right hand curled around the doorknob, turning it around before he slid the door open.

"Botan?" he called out as what greeted him was a dark, silent room. Aside from the translucent blue that came from the moonlight seeping through the curtains falling over the 8 ft windowpane, there was nothing that served as a light in the black shadows that surrounded him and the threshold of Botan's room. He squinted his eyes to get a better view of the huge lump on the bed, the sheets tangled around it serving as coverage—though he noticed the peek of blue hair and took that as the only sign that it was the girl he had been preoccupied seeking for the past few hours.

He had found her.

"Botan," he repeated, louder this time when she was unresponsive. "Is that you?" That was a stupid question, but he couldn't help it. His mind was still—well, mindlessly—seeking for a way to offer her comfort or at least a method he could use so as to lessen the pain and anger she must be harboring for him at the moment—so he did not notice his dumb inquiry. Then again, he always did have a tendency to act foolish around her—so there was no element of surprise there.

The girl continued to remain deadly quiet and Shuichi began to wonder if she had somehow fallen asleep—but he knew that couldn't possibly be the case as he caught sight of uneasy movements from underneath the covers—almost as if she was squirming uncomfortably in bed. He pursed his lips before clamping the door shut behind him. For a moment, he stared at her bundled up form—recalling that one time he saw her like this when she used to have a fight with her cousin. This time however, it was because of him—and that made him more nauseous now than he was back then.

There was a short, hesitant pause before he started to advance his way towards her. Halting just at the edge of the bed, Shuichi whirled around before flopping on an unoccupied space on the soft comforter. The bed bounced as his hips collided against the plump surface—and he felt a slight shift from the lying figure beside him. Now that he was closer to her, he could hear the low, admittedly endearing sobs she emitted—and this managed to cause a single fracture on his stoic mask, the emotion in his eyes disrupting the calmness of his pools of green and betraying all sense of his beliefs. Shit. She really was crying.

"Botan." He reached a hand to touch her shoulder—a pricking pain striking him at the middle of his chest as he felt her flinch under his smooth fingers—but he didn't exactly mind it; he knew he deserved it. "Look. I-I don't know how to go about saying this. I haven't said anything like this for years. But I just—I wanted to apologize. For the harsh words I told you in the park. God—basically for everything." His voice was desperate—he noticed—but he didn't care. Couldn't afford to care. All he needed was for her to know that he genuinely felt bad. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have said all those things to you. None of them were—are—true. You're a really good girl and anyone who can't see that is a blatant fool."

The gentle weeping came to an abrupt stop as his words resonated in the walls of the dimly lit room. Botan's shaking shoulders stopped quivering before he eventually felt her relax; the rigid line of her body disappeared, giving way to slumping down and serene breathing. Then he felt her turn—her porcelain hands reaching upwards to remove the blankets wrapped around her head. She pushed the sheets down until it felled to her lap—and he found himself lost in her amethyst pearls as she studied him intently; him returning the gaze with equal fervor.

She licked her lips—and he briskly snapped out of the spell she had managed o cast on him.

"Look, Shuichi." Her voice was gentle—but hoarse, almost as if she had been screaming. _She probably had been_ , he mused before breaking out of his reverie as she brought a hand to touch his. Her fingers pliant as it squeezed lightly around his longer digits. He could have sworn he lost the ability to properly breathe—before the oxygen that filled his lungs proved otherwise. "I'm not exactly mad—well, I am. But… mostly I'm just…"

"Disappointed?" he finished for her, a bitter smile curving at the corners of his mouth. "I get it. I hurt you." He noticed her red eyes—and he became vengeful of himself.

The girl blinked at him before shaking her head and propping herself up on one elbow. Her hand released his and Shuichi tried not to let his disappointment over the loss of warmth to show on his features as he calmly ogled her frowning sweet little face. She raised two hands in front of her, gesturing helplessly for him to understand before she realized that he would not be able to unless speech was let out to assist him. She cleared her throat, trying not to focus on the soreness underneath her eyes as she easily met his stare.

"That's not it, Shuichi," she murmured, her voice almost a hushed whisper. "I just… I mean, yes, your words did hurt…" she trailed off as he suddenly wrapped two arms around her waist and enveloped her in a tight embrace. Botan blushed momentarily—but the flush on her cheeks were reduced to a pink tinge as soon as she caught to the desperate whispers "I'm sorry"s escaping his lips. "Stop. Stop it," she firmly told him before she struggled in his arms to push him gently off of her. He allowed her the moment he felt her light shove, but he did not release his hold on her—his arms loosened its tight vice-like grip yet remained encircled around her small waistline. She looked at him straight in the eyes. "I mean, you were right. In everything you said. I _was_ jealous—and I _did_ feel out of place. Mom and dad never really focused their affections on me—in fact, they showered most of their parental love on my brother, even after the divorce. And I guess—I guess that's one of the reasons I hate him." Her eyes began to water with tears but she quickly blinked them away as she felt Shuichi tensed against her. "Really. None of it is your fault. You were right; I _am_ pathetic."

She then offered him a weak smile, but he shook his head.

"No," he whispered, voice soft yet firm. "You're so much more than that, Botan. You're kind, strong and selfless. You have moralities better than anyone I've ever known and…"

Her warm hand rested on his left cheek and he immediately quieted down.

"Really." Her smile seemed to broaden. "I'm okay," she reassured him one last time before she placed her free hand on his other cheek and delivered a light slap on both mounds of flesh, taking the redhead off guard. "Now stop that frowning! Where's that infuriating smirk I always see on your face anyway?" she chortled.

And then, as if on cue, a smile spread on his softened countenance. There was no sign of the rude, heartless New Shuichi—she noticed—as he grabbed ahold of her two hands and intertwined their fingers together. "I mean it, Botan. You're beyond wonderful."

Botan's heart drummed wildly in her chest—though whether it was due to his fingers tightly wrapped around hers, the warmth of his body sapping through her skin or his words tugging at the strings of her heart, she was uncertain. Nor did she care to figure out. All there were were her and Shuichi and that was all that mattered—or at least she felt like so.

The passion in his emerald orbs told her he felt the same.

"Can I ask you something though?" she spoke before she could get lost in the flood of emotions—and in him. The scarlet hue on her cheeks dissipated as a firm expression flitted over her feminine features. "I need to know: why did you freak out so much when you found me with Shin-kun?"

At that moment, a frown came to marr his forehead and his hands abruptly let go of hers, fingers untwining around her digits. Botan's features reflected his as his impassive mask came back, the smile on the corners of his mouth tugged down into a thin line. He shook his head, as if snapping out of a trance—before making to get up from the bed. When Botan felt the slight shift of movement, and the near loss of added weight, she blinked out of her reverie before swiftly hooking her arms around him. Shuichi started, caught off guard by the feeling of her supple figure pressing against the hard contours of his back.

"Botan…" he said warningly before reaching a hand down to pry her hold off of him. Botan ignored him and only clung tighter, fingers gripping to the front fabric of his white shirt.

"No," she murmured, though her voice was firm. "No," she repeated, louder this time. Shuichi whirled only his head around to look at her, surprise dancing over his visage as he saw the finality in her purple irises. "You can't run away this time. You're always running—and I won't have that anymore. I need answers."

His eyes softened, but she noticed the way his body turned into a rigid line; yet his posture was still poised—straight back, unmoving figure. He was calm—calm but frigid. "I can't give you those."

"Why not?"

The boy was unresponsive.

"Shuichi…"

"If I tell you," he began, voice like a hushed whisper. Her eyes widened as a different kind of heat entered his usually tranquil emerald orbs, "would you hate me for it?"

Her brows creased as the surprise died down from her system, taking its place was pure confusion beyond definition. "What are you talking about? I would never hate you. I care about you too much. Why would you even…" she trailed off as a nearly cynical grin tugged at the edge of his lips.

"But only as a friend, right?" he stated more than asked, his voice slightly laced with a feral growl. Botan blinked and it took her a few moments before she could put two and two together and understand the hidden message behind his words. He… he… A scarlet flush colored her cheeks, heating up her cold flesh at the striking and startling realization.

"Shuichi, I—"

He didn't let her say anything. "I liked you," he told her, blunt and stoic with an underlying suppressed emotion. "I still do." Her arms loosened their grip around him—probably due to her shock at his blatant confession—and he took that as his chance to whip around to face her. His gaze locked with hers and he smiled a little at her blush—but she couldn't help but notice how the smile seemed… bitter—sad, almost. "But I found you unreachable then."

And she knew it was probably not the right time—she was probably cutting into his sentence—but she blurted it out before she could even stop herself, "What do you mean?"

He shook his head, but then furrowed his brows, the smile on his face faltering to give way to a baffled hurt frown. "You. Six years ago," he stated simply, trying not to let too much affection show as he proceeded, "Just like the stars, you were pretty. But I knew I wouldn't be able to reach you—couldn't make you mine." He paused, as if his mind was contemplating over the right words to express himself. He was never an expert when it came to his own feelings. "I could have asked for any girl I wanted. But the girl I did end up desiring winded up being the only girl who woudn't even spare me a fleeting glance. You were a beauty, you know that? You still are. Everyone liked you—girls wanted to be you and boys wanted to be _with_ you and—hell, a lot of my friends were attracted to you and I remember hating them for that. And even though I had girls swarming around me every second of the day, I didn't give a damn about any of their attention because all I ever needed was yours." Shuichi sighed, lips trembling as the yearning became evident through his pain-contorted face, desire-filled eyes and deep-longing voice. He took her by surprise as he sat down on the bed, right in front of her, before grabbing ahold of her shoulders. He was trying to retain at least a shred of control, but with each passing moment, he was beginning to have a harder time to assert authority over his own emotions. "You were happy," he whispered, "friendly and you had big dreams. Me? Well, I was just a mess. I feigned being an honor student—faked being amiable because I wanted to win people over. You didn't have to do all that. You were real—and for me, it was only pretend." His blunt nails dug into her bare shoulders and Botan was vividly aware of the tears he was trying to hide as he shut his eyelids tight. "And I didn't know what I wanted to do—what my dreams were. All I knew back then was that I had to act being perfect all the time—I didn't want to embarrass my mom and my step-dad and I fought trying to live up to people's high expectations. Even me being an escort right now is only a means to earn some living. I didn't want to work in an office like my step-dad—I hated him for the way he pushed his beliefs and money down my throat and more for the way he treated my mom. I was lonely, sad—but you were radiant. Bright, almost. We were close but we were from different worlds. I loved you but I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn't be able to have you. I was afraid I wouldn't have anything to offer—I was afraid of my own darkness tainting your divine light. But I had hope. I thought that even if you weren't mine, you would still never belong to anyone because you never really were interested in a boy, you know? But then, before I knew it, you were chasing after my best friend and I was holding on hopelessly to a one-sided love."

"Shuichi…"

He didn't let her finish—he had a feeling he would really lose control if she did. It was one thing to convey all this pent-up desire but it was another to allow himself to get lost in it—no, because that was unacceptable. "Then we started growing apart. I moved and started to change and cut off all ties with my family except for my mom. It was stupid, but acting all flirty and seductive was the only way for me to ignore the pain. It wasn't much efficient, but it worked for a while and I was happy for some time. I stopped taking your calls and you stopped trying to keep in contact. I was a bit devastated that you did, but I saw that as an opportunity for me to move on and get over you and find someone else. I knew that me ignoring you must have hurt you, but I couldn't really care much because all I could think of everyday was how much _you_ hurt _me_. That was when one of my friends recommended me to an escort agency—the one I'm working with right now. It wasn't exactly my style—to sleep around with women for money—but I didn't really care anymore because all I knew was that I had to get rid of the loneliness. I tried looking for that one girl who would help me forget you—that one woman who would ignite the same passion and spark that you do to me… but I never did. I didn't quit though—I still needed the money, after all… and at least I wasn't spending most of my days wallowing in self-pity anymore with most of the clients wanting to go on dates most of the time. And everything was going along just fine… until you came strolling into my life again after six long years." He laughed—and Botan winced at the harsh, forced way he let it out out loud. "And for a moment, I was dumb enough to think that everything would be alright even if you were to stay for a few days. I had myself totally convinced that I had gotten over you, that your presence here wouldn't give off much an effect. But I was a foolish coward, just like I was those six years ago. Who was I to kid? You've been the only woman I've loved and you still are. But I tried to keep my feelings a secret, tried to silence my own voice screaming for a way out. It was easier for me to just ignore them. I figured I would stop feeling this way if you were gone and thought I could hold out until you left." And just right then, Botan caught the sight of a single tear streaking over his left cheek, dripping down his chin. "But obviously I was wrong."

His eyes shot open and in that moment met hers—then in that instant, Botan could finally see all the hidden whirlwind of emotions he had been trying to mask over the long years. Six years of pent up affection, all directed towards her and conveyed in one long, hard look. "So now I sit here, trying to tell you how I really feel without tearing up but failing miserably at it. How stupid is that?"

A short chuckle erupted from his lips before it quickly reduced to chopped sobs. His head drooped low, hovering just an inch from her chest. He took in deep, sharp intakes of breath to calm himself—only to fail as his weeping only grew louder in volume. _What a fool_ , he mused bitterly to himself. He should have bolted for the door seconds ago—so why was he here, clinging to her?

Botan was still in a daze until she felt his warm tears against the fabric of her ruffled-crop top as he laid his forehead against her collarbone. The unbearably uncharacteristic pained sobs that racked through his form brought her own tears as she inhaled a shaky breath and wrapped her arms around him. She pulled him closer, his fiery locks tangled in her sky strands as he hooked his around her waist and held her impossibly tighter. He was shaking terribly and she hated herself for all the torture she put him through.

"I'm sorry," came her hoarse whisper in the dark room—and he froze. "I'm sorry," she repeated, voice more desperate this time.

"No. Don't," he pleaded. "Don't say that." Because if she did, he would snap and lose it and he wouldn't be able to control himself. And he didn't want to hurt her—nor did he want to force her into anything she refused to indulge in. He tried to break free of her hug—but she only intensified her actions by clinging to him like dear life and burying her face into the top of his red mane.

"I'm sorry," she uttered anyway, her voice breaking at the last word. He felt warm tears dampening his hair and breathed in a deep breath—

—and then that was it.

He lifted his head up and slammed his lips against hers before he could even stop himself.

Botan's startled gasp was muffled into the searing kiss and he took that chance to drive his hot tongue into her wet cavern. The appendange streaked over the roof of her mouth—her pearl white teeth, her gums—before it met with her tongue, stroking gently before battling for dominance as she began stroking back. Her body trembled and he felt the last remnants of his control slipping—he let go, pushing her down to the bed.

And she made no move to resist.

Shuichi broke off the lip-lock, breathing heavy—though not as heavier as hers—as he stared down at the panting woman beneath him. The soft tendrils of her blue hair felled over the sheets and around her like a halo, her cheeks flushed an adorable pink and her mouth red and bruised from the scorching kiss.

She was beautiful.

Her eyes locked with his before he nudged his knees in between hers. The heat pooling in her pearls of amethysts was permission enough for him.

"Shuichi," was all she needed to say before he began taking her clothes off.


	5. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** She was forced to see her distant brother, but instead she met with an old friend who she hadn't seen for six years. She hadn't exactly been looking forward to the weekend—and why was this guy treating her so coldly anyway? AU, KB.

 **Chapter 5**

Two months passed soon after that, and life had eventually assumed its normal course for Botan.

Boring old family reunions, occasional arguments with her brother, Souta, and long hours of waiting for nonexistent customers to drop by on her restaurant – same old, same old; it was like a never-changing cycle of life or routine she couldn't get out of – a life which soon returned as soon as she departed from Shuichi. She wasn't sure if she was happy about it, but with her being the ever cheery Botan everyone was accustomed with, she got up and got over it – well, maybe she didn't get over it, but she didn't really dwell on and mope about it for a long time. It was just not her style to do that – no, her style was to get the hell up and kick life in its balls and sometimes pick a fight with her brother whenever he came around or she had a rare break from work.

Speaking of her brother anyway, their relationship had started to lean on better terms for the last couple of months. Sure, they bickered once a while, but there was no hatred nor animosity in their banters – simply banters between siblings; something they did once a while to show affection – if there was any, between them. Souta was too egotistical to treat anyone well unless he'd get something in return, and Botan was just too stubborn to give him the otherwise gentle, loving treatment she normally offered to her other loved ones in life. They could never be nice to each other – that would be awkward – but that was okay, because it was just that way between them. It wasn't as if they still considered one another enemies and Souta was beginning to show that he felt sorry for downgrading her all these years, so Botan just didn't see any reason to hate him anymore. She did like to irk him once a while, though.

Life was nice – boring, but nice. There was just always something that piqued her interest and curiosity. Questions about the sudden improvement in hers and Souta's relationship still plagued her mind for some moments here and there, at the most random of times. They had stopped trying to bite each other's heads off since her return from his shared apartment with Shuichi, and it just made her wonder sometimes if the redhead had anything to do with it. After the night they shared, Botan thought he didn't want anything to do with her anymore because he left the morning after – or maybe he just had some work to attend to. Regardless, she left without saying goodbye – she was never good with goodbyes, and besides, she was afraid that she might want to stay longer if she were to see him again, so she just left. He didn't call and neither did she. They didn't have one another's phone numbers, after all. She wished they did, but it wasn't as if she could turn back time and ask for his number before she went into her father's car and they drove away until the apartment building disappeared into nothingness. Sure, she could ask her brother, but then she would have to deal with the thousands of questions he would bombard her with, and that just seemed too much trouble.

But sometimes she liked to think that Shuichi still cared. That he still looked after her. She liked to think that he was the one who persuaded Souta to mend his relationship with his sister. Liked to think that he played a part in getting her brother's ass whooped and given to him by their dad after he found out that Souta purposely went on a 'business trip' just so he didn't have to deal with an annoying sister.

She liked to think he was the reason she was happier now.

"Need a ride?" her brother's voice echoed from the right as she slipped out of the restaurant, the bell signalling her leave an implication that business hours were over. She turned her head and locked eye to eye with a darker shade of purple. Souta was leaning against the door to the driver's seat, arms crossed and eyebrows quirked at her in a gesture of curious invitation.

Botan's fists were deep inside the pockets of her thick coat, fingers twitching and opening and closing to sap any warmth they could get. A puff of air left her lips as she spoke. "What happened to your date with that hot actress you were bragging about?" she asked instead of justifying his offer with a reply – though no answer was needed as she quickly took hurried steps for her brother's Mercedes.

"Heh. That bitch? Screw her. Dumped her the minute she started showing signs of being a potential stalker," he scoffed and rolled his eyes at the mention of his ex-girlfriend. His left hand reached into the back pocket of his pants for his car keys before he pushed them into the keyhole.

She waited for her brother to open the lock before reaching for the door's handle. Opening the instant a clicking sound resonated in the cold air, she slid in just in time for her brother to enter the vehicle. "Well, at least you got to bone her. Wasn't that what you were aiming for?" she half jested, not sure if she was serious. Considering Souta, that could have been exactly his objective.

She was right when Souta's dark violet eyes narrowed into slits, squinting the way they would whenever he got pissed at her for saying something that struck a nerve – and also something that was predictably correct. "Don't go crawling up my bitch list, Bo. I already have a lot of whores up that list."

Botan never really enjoyed hearing profanity, but for some reason, when it came from her brother's mouth, she didn't really mind it. It was natural for him, after all. Despite being a doctor, he rarely ever resembled one. If anything, the way he talked would have passed him off as a street kid. Not that she would ever voice that out loud, of course. In spite of not minding the occasional b-word, she wasn't really in the mood of getting into a fight with her brother and trying to figure out which one of them was better in the insult department.

"Where are we going?" Botan questioned in a mixture of wonder and confusion as the car came to an abrupt halt in front of an unfamiliar coffee shop. Her delicate blue brows knitted together in befuddlement as she watched her brother turn the vehicle's engine off.

"I need some caffeine in my system," he answered merely and opened the door before peeking one leg out and whirling just his head around to face his sister, "and I have someone who wants to meet you," he finished before pushing his whole body out of the driver's seat and shutting the door close behind him. The crease on Botan's forehead deepened considerably, though she made no protest and simply got out of the car – seeing as she had no choice but to follow her brother's lead.

Botan was more preoccupied with her surroundings as they entered the coffee shop with the chiming bell of a customer's arrival sounding behind them. The instant the nice aroma in the warm air that wrapped around her just as they entered the sparkling threshold entered her nostrils, the girl seemed to have completely forgotten all the questions in her head and stopped paying attention to her brother entirely. Her eyes remained on the counter, where the various kinds of coffee were in display. Warm coffee seemed awfully pleasant in a cold weather like this.

She only escaped from her 'zone out' session when her brother's voice called out to her, bringing her out of the dreamland – which consisted of her being surrounded by coffee – she had been immersed in. It took her a short pause and a confused blink before she realized where she was and flushed bright red at the weird looks she received from the coffee shop's staff in return for her daydreaming in public. She murmured a barely audible sorry before spinning on her heels and hurrying to her brother's table.

"You should have snapped me out of it!" she urgently whispered to her brother, still barely noticing the other presence in front of them as she took a seat right next to Souta. Her sibling threw her a deadpanned look but said nothing and merely cleared his throat in response. Botan blinked but then finally turned to look at the third person sitting across the table.

And then she was met with beautiful emerald eyes and fiery crimson hair.

A startled gasp left her lips as she, in her surprise, nearly jumped two feet from the ground. Her wide eyes stared at the oddly composed ones of the only Minamino she knew that had red hair, her hand on her chest and fingers tightly gripping on the fabric of her top clothing. "S-Shuichi?" she gawked in disbelief, still unable to comprehend how he could be here.

"There is such a thing as a bus, you know," Shuichi answered her silent question, calmly sipping his coffee just as it arrived at their table. She wondered how he could sit there, all poised and elegant, after two months of not seeing her, while she, on the other hand, felt like she was on the verge of a heart attack.

"B-but- you- you-" Botan started, shock robbing her off her capability to properly utter out a coherent sentence as she pointed a finger at Shuichi and then to her brother, and back to Minamino. Back and forth, back and forth three times before she collected herself. "W-why are you here?" she finally asked.

A pause hung in the air. A pause that seemed to drag on forever before Souta eventually stood up and excused himself for a smoke, thinking that the pair would have to need some moments alone. He scratched the back of his neck before telling Botan to inform him when they were done and offering a ride back home to Shuichi. Botan merely gave out a mute nod whilst Shuichi lifted his cup in gratitude before they watched Souta walk out of the coffee shop.

Botan's eyes stilled on the door closing and the bell chiming before she whipped her head around to start her interrogation on Shuichi. Millions of inquiries – like why did he leave her in the morning or why he was here – raced through her head, but all of them were silenced by a pair of lips that didn't belong to her as Shuichi leaned in and possessed her lips. By the time he pulled back, she didn't realize when she started to respond to the kiss. She was only aware of one thing: Shuichi's mouth was as soft as ever and tasted like coffee. It was nice.

Everything suddenly didn't feel so cold as red crept up her neck and cheeks, warm blood warming her skin. Still, she didn't pry away from Shuichi's unwavering gaze as they stared at each other. Then, after what felt like long hours of just looking into one another's eyes, a small smile outlined Shuichi's lips.

"I'd be lying if I told you I didn't miss you," he simply said, as if that was answer enough. And it was. For her, it always was.

 **A/N:** Er… is this ending too sudden? I'm sorry! DX I was sleepy when I wrote this. I just thought I prolonged this fic too much and that it was time it got the ending it deserved. And I was also tired of keeping my readers waiting for too long. But now… :sigh: I might re-write this chapter. But probably not at the time. In the future, I will. For now, I apologize if the ending isn't to my readers' satisfaction. And also, I didn't show the sex scene because well… I wanted this fic to remain a T rating and didn't want to cross that. Maybe I did on the last chapter though. But oh well. Hope you guys enjoyed this fic! I appreciate all the support you've given me and hopefully, when I have the time, I'll update more on my other fics.


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